The Context

While there is much conversation and practice around social transformation, much of this focuses on attempts at engineering external realities. There seems to be little recognition that what we see ‘out there’ is a reflection of our own inner stories, that our own way of approaching the world has a significant role to play in addressing the enormous challenges which we face at this time in world history. There are many theories and practices emerging around alternate world views; yet there seems to be little focus on the development of the commensurate faculties required to engage with these world views.

We live in a world marked by seemingly intractable social and ecological problems.

The core problem with much current praxis is not simply that it doesn’t get its ‘results’ as it defines them. It is more that its very approach severely impoverishes the depth, the integrity, the humanity of work in the social field. The full rich nature and complexity of any social situation is negated – cannot present itself, cannot be fully understood – through the highly reductionist nature of these approaches. Deterministic project frameworks, models and techniques replace an engaged interpersonal practice. Much engagement with the social world, and most of the thinking that underpins it, works with approaches that do not enable us to see living process on its own ground.

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The School

The Proteus School of Reflective Social Practice is a school of the Crossfields Institute, managed through the wholly owned subsidiary, Crossfields International.